EL SEGUNDO – To Larry Bird and others in charge in Indiana, Roy Hibbert was a lost cause. A lumbering center with little offensive game and a disinterested temperament, they were happy pawning him off for nothing more than a f

EL SEGUNDO -- The Lakers introduced summer acquisitions Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass on Wednesday, and each of the veterans seemed genuinely pleased to be there.
Each talked about getting a fresh start after things went sideways with their previous employers.
From the Lakers standpoint, all three provide

LAS VEGAS – He has stayed in the fancy hotels and been given the gear. Fans have stopped him to ask if he plays for the Lakers, and for autographs.
One of the few pieces of the professional experience to elude Will Davis II has been playing in games.
“It's hard with so many actual people that are on the Lakers roster,

LAS VEGAS – It didn’t take long for Anthony Brown to be fooled by one of the passes from the Lakers’ more touted rookie. In one of the team’s first practices before the NBA Summer League, Brown took for granted that there was not enough of a passing lane for D’Angelo Russell to deliver the ball, then watched

LAS VEGAS – Lakers executives have long defended their use of advanced statistics, disputing the public perception that the 16-time NBA champions are behind the times.
The organization, however, is taking steps to strengthen the analytics side of things, with plans to create a position for a staff member to facilitate better commun

LAS VEGAS – The system in place does ultimately crown a champion of the Las Vegas Summer League, so it’s not entirely accurate to say wins and losses here don’t matter.
Teams such as the Lakers, however, are far more concerned with measuring progress, building chemistry and even developing coaches than they are with win

LAS VEGAS – Some clarification is needed on Robert Upshaw’s situation with the Lakers.
The team was reportedly preparing to sign the troubled center over the weekend, according to multiple outlets. The Register reported a two-year contract, with the first year partially guaranteed, had be

LAS VEGAS – The cheer emerged in the third quarter after Larry Nance Jr. nimbly threw his opponent out of the way, planted two feet, coiled and exploded for a put back dunk over former Arizona point guard T.J. McConnell.
Unexpected and joyous, the reaction spread from one section and soon filled the arena. The chant floated out of

LAS VEGAS - D’Angelo Russell worked out for the Lakers in June one day before Jahlil Okafor did; he was called to the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center one pick before Okafor.
If they were just missing each other then, they collided Saturday night in Las Vegas.
More specifically, Okafor met Russell with 1.9 s

LAS VEGAS – Stars such as Damian Lillard and James Harden settled into courtside seats to catch a glimpse of the next wave of the NBA’s projected elite. Fans off the street, just as curious, packed Thomas & Mack Center. By the time the Lakers and Timberwolves tipped off Friday, they were still filing into seats in the upper bowl.

LAS VEGAS -- It was No. 1 vs. No. 2: Karl-Anthony Towns vs. D'Angelo Russell. It was Julius Randle's first game in nearly nine months.
It was the first look at a lineup that coach Byron Scott will likely rely on a lot next year.
The Lakers dropped their Summer League opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 81-68,

It started with high-profile, yet futile, chases of stars. The Lakers’ foray into free agency ended, more or less, with consolation-prize players who might serve functional, foundational roles, but who are unlikely to rocket the Lakers back to championship contention.
Deals that were agreed to last weekend were finalized on the for

EL SEGUNDO – Robert Upshaw said Julius Randle is an “ox.” D’Angelo Russell called him a “beast” and Jordan Clarkson likened him to a “monster.”
All of the terms have been used to explain that the Lakers lottery pick in 2014 is impressively in-shape during a week of Summer League practices.

EL SEGUNDO – Byron Scott learned a hard lesson last year when, two months into the season, the Lakers player best at making baskets and drawing crowds, was physically drained and in need of a weeks-long break to recoup.
Not long after, Kobe Bryant tore his rotator cuff, knocking him out for the rest of the season.
With like

With teams now free to sign free agents, the Lakers have gotten to work finalizing the deals they struck over the weekend, signing veteran free agents Lou Williams and Brandon Bass.
They are still expected to execute a trade for Indiana center Roy Hibbert.
The Lakers also agreed to terms with Anthony Brown, whom they